Lower School Update - September 9, 2019

Deeper Learning in Math Parent Coffee

Thank you to all parents who were able to join us last Tuesday for our parent coffee about math. Below are the slides from the presentation. 
 

MAP Testing

Students in second to fifth grade will continue with MAP assessments this week in Reading, Math and Language Usage. You can find more information here. In several weeks, you will receive an email including your child’s scores.  It’s important to remember that this is a beginning of the year assessment and results are used to guide instruction for the school year.  

Learning Community A Assembly

This Thursday Learning Community A will start our first round of assemblies. For this assembly grandparents and special friends have been invited. We hope to have many community members on our campus for this special event. Please remember this is only community A this week, students from other communities will have their own event the following weeks (and as such, please do not remove children from their homerooms to attend this assembly as they will miss learning). The assembly will take place from 8:15-8:50, with classroom activities with grandparents/special friends from 9:00-9:30.

Reading at Home

There is loads of research about the importance of reading.  At Graded, we encourage all students to read for at least 20 minutes every night.  Why? Reading makes us smarter! The best part is that students can read whatever they like! Comic books, recipe tbooks, magazines or the latest novel - everything counts!  Read more about the benefits of reading here!

News from the Library

Parents are invited to attend a session with Alan Gratz, author of the heart-breaking and timely book Refugee, on Sept. 10 at 8:15 in the Auditorium. 

Peter Reynolds, internationally-renowned author and illustrator, will also be here in October. Stay-tuned for more details about special opportunities to spend time with him. 

One-stop shopping for your information needs: LS Library Website.

What is OLS?

OLS stands for Optimal Learning Services. It was a former acronym used by the US State Department for their overseas support for students with learning needs. OLS students typically have a diagnosis need in the area of core learning (reading, writing or math) or in attention and organization.  

What does OLS Support Look Like at Graded?

OLS services are provided either within the classroom where an OLS teacher co-teaches with the classroom teacher or they consult with the teacher to make sure accommodations are in place for the student. Students may come in with an evaluation report and we write individualized learning plans that use goals and objectives to address areas of need. Every time they receive a report card, they will also receive comments on their goal progress. We ask for re-evaluations every three years to determine if there is still a need for support.

How Can I Learn More About Graded’s OLS Program?

If you have any questions about the program please email Colette Bounet, our Lower School Student Services Coordinator. Her email is colette.bounet@graded.br. 

Lower School Movie Night

Mark your calendars for our next Lower School Movie Night! This time we will start our afternoon with some play time on the LS Playground, with the movie taking place in the LS Gym starting at 4: 15. Snacks and treats will be served prior to the movie. Later this week you will have the opportunity to vote on the movie you would like to watch. We hope you can join us!

Upcoming Important Dates

September 2 to September 13	MAP Testing
September 10	8:30 am Parent Coffee: Visiting Author Alan Gratz (Auditorium)
September 12	8:15 am LS Community A Assembly (Auditorium) Grandparents and Special Friends
September 19	8:15 am LS Community B Assembly (Auditorium) Grandparents and Special Friends
September 20	Lower School Movie Night
September 23	LS Special Rotation Day A
September 24	LS Special Rotation Day B
September 25	LS Special Rotation Day C
September 26	LS Special Rotation Day D 8:15 am LS Community C Assembly (Auditorium) Grandparents and Special Friends
September 27	No school for students

Around the Lower School 

Teve show na comemoração do Dia da Independência

Show da Cia Malas Portam. E nossos alunos participaram divertidamente!

Dia de festa brasileira na Escola Graduada

E a festa feita pelo PTA juntou saberes e sabores das 5 regiões brasileiras!

 

SEPTEMBER 2 CURRICULUM UPDATE

Thank you all for coming to our Back To School Night. It was a great chance for our team to meet the families that make Grade 3 special! We have had a busy and productive few weeks back at school!

Social Studies

Students have begun exploring stories of immigration

through our shared reading of historical fiction. We are reading stories together

and analyzing the reasons behind why people move or have moved in the past. 

Students are exploring the + positive and - negative factors that influence the

changing of countries. Here is some of the new vocabulary being introduced over the

next few weeks. Please begin sharing your stories with your child and use this new

vocabulary in your conversations at home.

- Push Factors

The bad or difficult things that “push” you out of your country.

+ Pull Factors

The good or positive opportunities that “pull” or attract you to a new place.

- Risks

The chance or possibility that things may be difficult in a new place.

- Challenges

The things that ARE difficult once living in a new place.

+ Rewards

The good things that happen once living in a new place.

Language Arts

Students have worked very hard to establish reading routines and are now using newly

introduced strategies to read and understand more complicated text.  Our current reading unit

is focused on realistic fiction where students are able to look closely at plot development

and use of language. Students at this stage are beginning to monitor their own understanding.

The major learning goals for this unit include:

• Make a mental movie to imagine story elements.
• Predict what the main character will do, say and think.
• Explain my predictions with text evidence.
• Infer character traits, not just feelings.
• Use knowledge of the character to understand the character’s decisions.
• After finishing the book, summarize the story and its elements.
• Explain the lesson learned by the main character. 

In each of the four classrooms, students are now beginning to learn routines for word work activities, which includes spelling, grammar and vocabulary development. Although most of these activities

are completed within the school day, please be advised that occasionally they may have homework to help practice their assigned work.

In writing, the students are working to tell small moment stories, or personal narratives, that include a strong lead, descriptive language and convey a message. Students have been revising, and editing these stories and look forward to publishing them soon on our class bulletin boards!

Math

Brazilian Week in PAL (Portuguese as an Additional Language) class

Dear parents of  PAL (Portuguese as an Additional Language) 3 students,

September 7 is the day we celebrate Brazilian Independence Day. For this reason, this is a special week at school!
 We have been learning about the Brazilian flag and National Anthem, the regions of this country and some typical food from each region.
On Thursday, we will have a special Assembly (only for students) when we will experience some music and culture from our country, with the group "Malas Portam".  After that, students will visit the event organized by our PTA called "Brasil de muitos lugares e sabores", where they will have a chance to taste some typical food and learn more about the country.
On this day (Sept. 5th, we encourage students to wear the one or more colors of the Brazilian flag (green, yellow, blue, white).
We encourage you to ask your children about what they have been learning in Portuguese class. They will have a lot to share!
Thank you very much for you partnership.

Lower School Update - September 2, 2019

Deeper Learning in Math Parent Coffee

On Tuesday we will have a special coffee for all our Lower and Middle School parents. The topic is math. Please join us in the Black Box Theater at 8:30 am to learn more!

Brazilian Independence Celebration

Join us this Thursday to celebrate Brazil. All students are asked to wear Brazilian colors on Thursday. 

No School on Friday

Just a reminder that we will not have classes on Friday. We hope you have an enjoyable long weekend!

MAP Testing

Over the next two weeks, students will be taking the MAP test in Reading, Math and Language Usage. The test is taken on a computer and is adaptive for each student. The results help teachers know students’ strengths and growth areas. You can find more information here.  Please note that scores no longer show automatically at the end of the test so students will not come home with their score.  

News from the Library

Congratulations to our Reading World Cup participants! These are some seriously dedicated readers! All students were recognized at The Nest today, and our gold-medal participants came to the front to receive their medals. We’ll be celebrating their efforts with ice cream on Thursday at 2:30. If your child completed the challenge and you are available to help, please email heather.purcell@graded.br.

Be sure to bookmark our LS Library Website on your devices for easy access to the library catalog, eBooks, databases, and book recommendations, as well as access to numerous magazines for yourselves. Let us know if you’d like to know more. 

Learning More About our Programs: What is ELL?

ELL stands for English Language Learner.  An ELL student is any student that speaks a language other than English as their first language, and is still working towards full English proficiency. ELL students are screened when they enter Graded by taking the WIDA SCREENER.  Then, towards the end of the school year all ELL students take the WIDA MODEL test to measure their growth in academic English.  

What does ELL Service Look Like at Graded?

ELL services are provided within the classroom where an ELL teacher co-teaches with the classroom teacher.  What this means is that the two teachers co-plan, co-teach and co-assess the students. This teaching model requires a lot of collaboration, so ELL teachers regularly plan with their grade level team.  While the ELL teacher is in the class, s/he may teach a whole group lesson, work with a small group or work one-on-one conferencing with students.

How Can I Learn More About Graded’s ELL Program?

If you have any questions about the program please email Matthew Ingersoll, our ELL Head of Department. His email is matthew.ingersoll@graded.br

Lower School Movie Night

Mark your calendars for our next Lower School Movie Night! This time we will start our afternoon with some play time on the LS Playground, with the movie taking place in the LS Gym. We hope you can join us!

Upcoming Important Dates

September 2 to September 13	MAP Testing
September 3	8:30 am Lower and Middle School Parent Coffee: Deeper Learning in Math (Black Box Theater)
September 5	LS Brazilian Independence Day Assembly
September 6	No School
September 12	8:15 am LS Community A Assembly (Auditorium)
September 19	8:15 am LS Community B Assembly (Auditorium)
September 20	Lower School Movie Night
September 23	LS Special Rotation Day A
September 24	LS Special Rotation Day B
September 25	LS Special Rotation Day C
September 26	LS Special Rotation Day D 8:15 am LS Community C Assembly (Auditorium)
September 27	No school for students

Around the Lower School 

Back to School Evening

     Thank you to all who came to our Back To School evening. If was wonderful seeing everyone and I was amazed at how much your children look like you!  For those of you who could not make it, that's okay! Life happens. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.  HERE is the link to the slide presentation that I shared. Again, thank you for a great evening.